Final 25 days of the season starts with tonight’s games. The chart below shows the schedule and other information for the teams currently holding the 3rd to 10th spot in the west.
Most teams have 13 games left, while the Grizzlies have 16 left to play. However, on a positive note for Memphis’ schedule consider these facts.
☻ They have the easiest remaining SOS (strength of schedule) of these 8 eight teams,
☻ They play 8 teams at 500 or less (≤ 500),
☻ They play the most home games-9,
☻ 7 or the last 8 games they play are against under 500 teams.
The Lakers have a good remaining schedule with 8 of 13 games at home, but 8 of the teams have a winning record. The Clippers have a rough remaining schedule with only 5 of 14 games at home and they play 8 teams with a winning record. Dallas has 6 or 13 remaining games at home and they play 8 teams with a winning record.
So, the Lakers, Clippers and Mavericks all could stumble and allow the Grizzlies to move up, although it seems to me that Dallas is playing the best ball between LAL, LAC, DAL and MEM.
It would be good to get some comments about people’s views of the remaining schedule and who you think has the edge.
Here’s a few other sites you can check about the playoffs.
PLAYOFF MATCH-UPS at ESPN.
CONFERENCE STANDINGS.
Hollinger’s Playoff odds.
| 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th | |
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| LAL | LAC | DAL | MEM | Den | HOU | Utah | PHO | |
| Record | 32-20 | 31-21 | 30-23 | 28-22 | 28-24 | 28-24 | 27-26 | 26-26 |
| GB 1st | 7.5 | 9 | 10.5 | 11.0 | 11.5 | 12.5 | 13.5 | 14.0 |
| Home | 22-5 | 20-8 | 19-8 | 17-7 | 15-12 | 20-8 | 19-7 | 16-11 |
| Away | 11-15 | 11-13 | 11-15 | 11-15 | 14-12 | 8-17 | 8-19 | 10-15 |
| Div. | 7-3 | 4-5 | 6-4 | 5-5 | 3-7 | 5-6 | 6-4 | 6-5 |
| Conf. | 17-19 | 20-16 | 20-17 | 17-19 | 14-22 | 18-19 | 17-19 | 16-18 |
| Last 10 | 6-4 | 7-3 | 7-3 | 4-6 | 5-5 | 5-5 | 6-4 | 6-4 |
| GAMES | LEFT TO | PLAY | ||||||
| Total | 13 | 14 | 13 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 |
| Home | 8 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Away | 5 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 8 |
| > 500 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 11 |
| ≤ 500 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 3 |
| Div. | 4 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Conf. | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| SOS | 0.539 | 0.515 | 0.523 | 0.491 | 0.508 | 0.500 | 0.519 | 0.565 |
| =East Conf | games | = Division | games | |||||
| Date | LAL | LAC | Dal | MEM | Den | HOU | Utah | PHO |
| 4/2 | @DAL | LAC | @OKC | @CHI | @POR | |||
| 4/3 | NJN | GSW | @SAC | |||||
| 4/4 | @LAC | LAL | MEM | @DAL | @NOH | PHO | @UTAH | |
| 4/5 | @SAC | |||||||
| 4/6 | HOU | POR | @MIA | PHO | @LAL | GSW | @DEN | |
| 4/7 | @PHO | SAC | @MEM | DAL | @GSW | LAL | ||
| 4/8 | @SAC | @SAS | ||||||
| 4/9 | @NOH | @MEM | LAC | GSW | @POR | SAS | @MIN | |
| 4/10 | SAC | |||||||
| 4/11 | @SAS | @OKC | PHO | MIN | UTAH | @HOU | @MEM | |
| 4/12 | @MIN | @GSW | @SAS | |||||
| 4/13 | DEN | @POR | @LAL | PHO | @NOH | @HOU | ||
| 4/14 | GSW | UTAH | @MEM | @SAS | ||||
| 4/15 | DAL | @LAL | @NOH | HOU | @DEN | |||
| 4/16 | OKC | @UTH | @HOU | DEN | DAL | POR | ||
| 4/17 | SAS | @MIN | ||||||
| 4/18 | GSW | @DEN | HOU | NOH | LAC | @DAL | @POR | OKC |
| 4/19 | @PHO | @NOH | LAC | |||||
| 4/20 | @SAS | GSW | @CHA | |||||
| 4/21 | @CHI | POR | @PHO | GSW | ORL | DEN | ||
| 4/22 | OKC | NOH | ORL | @MIA | ||||
| 4/23 | CLE | |||||||
| 4/24 | @ATL | PHO | @UTAH | |||||
| 4/25 | @OKC | SAS | ||||||
| 4/26 | SAC | @NYK | @ATL | ORL | @MIN | NOH | POR | |
| LAL | LAC | Dal | MEM | Den | HOU | Utah | PHO |
I think we end the season going 9-7 over the stretch run, but if we can get a couple wins this week we could get on a run and hit something like 12-4(best case). After this week we have a favorable schedule and hopefully we can get all our pieces integrated and be hitting our stride as the playoffs start.
I would absolutely love to see the Grizzlies grab and hold the #4 or #3 spot for the home court advantage in the first round. I think that the fatigue factor will weigh too heavily, though. Even with the strength of schedule being in the Grizzlies favor, playing defense at the level that they do is very physically demanding. Best case scenario would be the Grizzlies going on an epic run so they could coast the last couple of games and let the starters rest up for the playoffs. This has been one crazy season (schedule wise) and anything could happen in the next few weeks. I’m hoping for that epic run, but praying that they can just hang on to a playoff spot. One last thing. Phoenix looks like they could sneak in and hold that #8 spot.
Grizz beat OKC by 6, HAHAHAHAHA take THAT OKC! woo man, good game. now if we can keep this up, i will be happy. i hope we can beat those sub .500 teams that we play later